Day Slams Reports Of Memory Loss

Reclusive movie icon Doris Day has slammed reports her memory is fading following the release of a scathing biography of the star.
Author David Kaufman studied the enigmatic actress/singer - real name Doris Mary Ann Von Kappelhoff - for his book Doris Day: The Untold Story of The Girl Next Door, insisting she wants nothing to do with Hollywood and has lost touch with reality.
The actress, 84, has tucked herself away in an 11-acre estate on the California coastline - where she now goes by the name Clara Kappelhoff, a nickname she says was given to her by a former co-star.
Kaufman told the Los Angeles Times newspaper last month (Jul08) upon his book's release: "She feels so completely disassociated from who Doris Day was. She signs her notes as Clara, she answers the phone as Clara."
The on-screen legend was recently photographed looking fatigued while out shopping in Carmel, California - reigniting reports of her bizarre behaviour, including picking up stray cats and dogs to keep her company on her massive plot of land.
However, a spokesperson for the actress has denied the claims made by Kaufman, insisting Kappelhoff is as "sharp as a tack".

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dayniac

I don't understand the theory that just because Doris doesn't need the entertainment idustry to fulfill her life, she has become a recluse with memory loss ! If anyone listened to Magic63's birthday program on April 3rd - you know that Dorisis doing great. She made 2 call ins to the station and sounded fantastic ! No memory loss - a vibrant,energetic lady came through on those calls. Very sad that people are furthering these ridiculousrumors to make money. Miss Day has a happy, fulfilling life - let her live it in peace!

Mr. Kaufman, who apparently spent years doing his research on Ms.Day, has absolutely no clue of the woman he wrote about. Since he was not privileged to speak with Ms. Day on a one on one basis, I do not see where he thinks he knows who she really is. Most of what he claims is a load of something, but not the truth. Having had the pleasure of speaking with her on many occasions, I found her to be the most candid and open individual I have ever met. This is not, as the pundits would have it, a woman who is hiding from the rest of the world due to the bad treatment she received from people that came in and out of her life. She is a woman with a very forgiving heart and one who consistently has shown strength through adversity. Like anyone else, she has been thrown a lot of lifes surprises along the way. The fact t hat she is forgiving and moves on, does not make her someone who is afraid to look at the past, nor is she someone who is trying to get over an abandonment issue and so has devoted her life to the animals .his whole thought process just makes me ill. Ms. Day has always had a love for animals. This is a part of her nature. Now, that she has retired and has the time away from the silver screen, she is doing what she loves to do, and so for all the great humanitarian contributions she has made across this nation, we have people like Mr. Kaufman who use their own theories for the own self gain. Despite the long length of time that Ms. Day has been out of the Hollywood limelight, she is still very much beloved around the world. Now, some 30 or more years out of the Hollywood Industry, she continues to have a new and even younger following who want to know more about her, and adore her as if we were back in the 50s and 60s when she was Queen of the Box Office. Her music is such that she will live forever in the hearts of fans, because there is no one who can come across with a song like she does. Because of this legacy she has and will leave behind, we have several authors now who find this is a good time to exlpoit her. However, as they cash in, they mutilate what is real about her in order to make their tawdry books sell. Ms. Day is not in hiding and she is not a recluse. She does what makes her happy and she has earned the right to do that. As someone who has seen the heart of this woman, it certainly angers me to see statements about her that are so erroneous, especially from people like Mr. Kaufman, who now professes himself to be the end all authority. If you want to print something about Doris Day that is truthful, then tell your audience how she has managed to change how an entire nation views their pets. Tell people how laws have been adapted to eliminate animal cruelty from the grass roots and up to Washingtons front door. Tell people how her organization rescued thousands of pets from their demise when Katrina hit New Orleans a couple of years ago. And most of all, due to her diligent efforts and her organization, many towns across our country have adapted a mandatory spay and neuter program to lower the overpopulation of unwanted pets. Does all this sound like a woman who hides behind another name known as Clara, because she has disassociated herself with her persona? On the contrary, Ms. Day has used her persona to accomplish a lot of good in the world and to educate us all on the responsibilities we have as pet owners. I beg to differ. Mr. Kaufman is no authority and I find his statements to be quite repugnant. He should have pushed aside his stupendous ego, and taken a better look at the person he wrote about. If he had, he would have seen the essence of a very remarkable woman who has managed to make an indelible mark in our society, as well as sharing her enormous talent with all of us through the years.